Lighting Knowledge & Resources

Technical white papers, case studies, and articles focused on LED lighting applications. All content in this section relates specifically to lighting design, installation, and engineering — not LED component-level documentation.

White Papers

Case Studies

Browse our lighting case studies for real-world application examples including solar street lighting, industrial warehouse lighting, classroom lighting, and more.

Technical Articles

Selected technical articles from our blog, curated for lighting designers and engineers. Topics include LPD compliance, illuminance calculation, and lighting standard interpretation.

Industry Standards

  • GB 50034 — Standard for Lighting Design of Buildings
  • IES LM-79 — Photometric testing for solid-state lighting
  • EN 12464 — Light and lighting in workplaces
  • ASHRAE 90.1 — Energy code lighting power density limits

Lighting Engineering Fundamentals

Photometric Quantities

Three quantities drive every lighting decision: luminous flux (lm, total light emitted), illuminance (lx, lm per square meter landing on a surface), and luminous intensity (cd, flux per solid angle). Fixture datasheets add luminous efficacy (lm/W) and an IES photometric file (LM-79) that describes the full 3D light distribution for simulation in DIALux, AGi32, or Relux. When comparing fixtures, always compare illuminance at the work plane — not raw lumens — because optical efficiency varies by 20–30% between designs.

Color Quality: CCT, CRI, and TM-30

Correlated color temperature (CCT) describes warmth (2700–3500 K) or coolness (5000–6500 K) of white light. CRI (Ra) measures how faithfully a source renders eight reference colors; offices commonly require Ra ≥ 80 and retail/medical areas Ra ≥ 90. Because Ra under-weights saturated red, check R9 separately — values above 50 are needed for food and skin rendering. The newer IES TM-30 method reports Rf (fidelity, 0–100) and Rg (gamut, saturation index), giving a fuller picture for color-critical projects.

Glare and Visual Comfort

Discomfort glare in interior lighting is quantified by the Unified Glare Rating (UGR); EN 12464-1 requires UGR < 19 for offices, < 16 for fine assembly work, and < 22 for circulation zones. Practical glare control comes from recessed or micro-prismatic optics, cut-off angles below 45°, and matching luminaire luminance to room reflectances. For outdoor sports and area lighting, use GR limits instead and control obtrusive light with full-cutoff fixtures to reduce sky glow and neighbor complaints.

Energy Codes and LPD

Lighting power density (LPD, W/m²) limits come from ASHRAE 90.1, California Title 24, and regional codes, with typical office allowances of 8–10 W/m² falling every code cycle. To comply, combine high-efficacy luminaires (≥ 130 lm/W delivered), occupancy and daylight sensors, and zoned dimming. Our LPD standards guide compares LED allowances with legacy HID and fluorescent baselines.

The Lighting Design Workflow

  • Define task illuminance and uniformity targets from EN 12464-1 or your local standard
  • Select CCT and CRI for the application (offices: 4000 K / Ra80; premium retail: 3000–4000 K / Ra90+)
  • Model the space with manufacturer IES files; verify average illuminance, uniformity (U0), UGR, and LPD
  • Plan controls (daylight harvesting, occupancy, task tuning) during layout — not after
  • Validate on site with a lux meter audit against the design targets

For worked examples, see our lighting case studies and the agricultural lighting white paper covering PPFD-based design for plant growth.